Williams To Test New Emergency Siren

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Williams College will test its new outdoor emergency siren for up to two minutes beginning at noon on Friday, April 3.
 
"Williams has joined the growing number of colleges that have acquired an emergency siren," Jim Kolesar, assistant to the president for public affairs, said in a letter going to Williamstown residents. "If there's ever an emergency at Williams of the kind we've all heard about happening on campuses elsewhere, the siren will emit a steady sound for several minutes."
 
Students, faculty, and staff would receive at the same time a phone call, e-mail, and text message informing them of the nature of the emergency. Local residents will be able to check the college's home page (www.williams.edu) or call 597-4698 for the same information.
 
"To test the siren for the first time, we plan to turn it on for up to two minutes on Friday, April 3, at noon," the letter said. "We'll put a notice on the college home page indicating that that's a test."
 
As part of preventive maintenance, the siren will also be turned on for 15 seconds at noon on the first Saturday of every month beginning this May.
 

For the first test, college and town officials will be placed around campus and in nearby neighborhoods to determine how fully the signal penetrates college buildings and how far it carries off campus.
 
"Depending on where you live, many of you will never hear it," the letter continued. "If you hear it at noon on April 3, that's the first test. If you ever hear it for a short time, that's one of the monthly tests. If you hear it for a long time, you can check www.williams.edu or call 597-4698, preferably the former, to learn the nature of the emergency."
 
The siren will sound simultaneously from two locations: atop the college's science center and its Mission Park dormitory complex.
 
Kolesar said that adding a siren to the ways the college would communicate in an emergency makes sense because there are often people on campus who aren't students, faculty, or staff and not all college people are near their computers or cell phones all the time. He added that the siren should also increase safety in nearby areas since people there will know as soon as anyone if an emergency takes place on campus.
 
"Some of us are old enough to recall the regular testing of air raid and fire department sirens," he concluded. "In a way, this is a step back to those days."
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Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.
 
But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.
 
"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."
 
"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.
 
Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.
 
The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.
 
Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.
 
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